Missouri Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz complained Thursday that some outside groups had published some senators' personal cellphone numbers so that people could contact the lawmakers directly on issues.
Schatz, R-Sullivan, spoke on a "point of personal privilege" at the beginning of the Senate's Thursday session, about 8 hours after the Senate adjourned shortly after 4 a.m., following the passage of a controversial anti-abortion bill.
His remarks also concerned the nearly 28-hour filibuster earlier in the week, when a half-dozen members of the Senate's "Conservative Caucus" sought to block passage of Gov. Mike Parson's workforce development plan - eventually ending their filibuster Tuesday evening so the bill could be passed.
"These have been a very difficult past few days," Schatz noted. "Very difficult issues have been talked about on this (Senate) floor."
But, Schatz said, he thinks publishing that personal information "is against the law. I secondly believe that it is unrealistic to believe that that is a way that (people) think they can make progress on issues."
He called publishing the personal phone numbers "unprofessional and unacceptable," adding: "Whether or not you like the way the process (that) played out here over the past few days - you do not sit in these seats. You were not elected to make the decisions that we're faced to make."
Schatz didn't identify the outside groups responsible for posting the personal information, but said he hoped they would remove those posts from their online sites and "learn that this is not the way this process works."
He said: "Regardless, again, of how you feel about the issues, I believe the Senate worked in the fashion it should. I would hope that we continue to respect the process and the people who serve in these seats.
"The traditions of the Senate are important - and decorum and respect are a long-standing tradition. I would hope that people outside of this building would adhere to that and allow us to do our jobs."